Thursday, December 11, 2008

Eating well, very well

Ireland is bit like Iowa when it comes to dining. Food snobs have traditionally given the local cuisine in both places a bad rap. The four of us know there are fine places to eat in Iowa. Now, we also know there is wonderful food to be had in Ireland, at least in Rosscarbery.

Gossip, a full-service restaurant, and Roc’s, a delightful, traditional fish-and-chips takeaway place, have already been mentioned. We were also most impressed with Lily House, which calls itself a Chinese restaurant but actually offers more than Chinese fare. For example, one dish in the gut-busting meal for three that we had on Tuesday evening was Malaysian.

The place we’ve eaten the most here is Pilgrim’s Rest Coffee House and Restaurant. Serving breakfast and lunch through the afternoon, Pilgrim’s Rest is an exceptional eatery. For starters, it is bold enough to have an Illy coffeemaker from Italy. This is daring in a country that worships at the altar of tea. Breakfasts are ample and delicious, owing to the fact that all ingredients are fresh.

Alex Suss and Joanne Durrant opened their restaurant here five years ago. Alex is from Switzerland. Joanne is from England. They definitely know what they’re doing. This is a place that tourists passing through might not know about, but they should.